How to increase your MPG buy almost 2

[SwampAss]

You guys blow me away. Pretty much, gasoline is gasoline, brand to brand. It is so closely regulated and scrutinized that really the difference from brand to brand will be incredibly small. It all comes from the same basic oil tankers, to the same basic oil refineries. Shell is doing more then a fair amount of off-shore oil drilling, and trying to break ties w/ the Oil Sheiks, so I almost expect their fuel to cost a bit more. However, I usually buy from ARCO or whomever has the lowest price for 91 (the highest it goes around here) that is still a power-player in the oil industry (Shell, BP, Mobil, etc.), and I don't see a difference.

Just as a thought, the difference you are seeing could be explained from the use of "oxygenated" fuels, or through the use of higher ethenol content. Both of these changes could result in less energy per gallon, which might be causing your right foot to put more into keeping the car at the acceleration and power levels you are used to, as well as a car on cruise-control using more fuel to maintain speed. It would be a small difference, but it could add up.

It's the additives and detergents that make the difference.

This voluntary Top Tier program requires that its members sell gasolinein all grades, not just the highest octanethat provides a much higher level of deposit control than the EPA-mandated levels. So this means Joes Shady FastGas in Memphis has to meet the same standards as Shell in San Diego. This quality is important. Fuels that do not control deposits effectively will eventually lead to such conditions as clogged fuel injectors, along with dirty valves and other intake parts, a recipe for poor fuel delivery. Poor fuel delivery can result in misfires, which are essentially combustion cycles that dont combust properlyif at all. This means a loss of power and a decrease in fuel efficency, as well as greater exhaust-gas emissions as the unburned fuel mixture passes directly through the engine.

 

[Speed3girl]

I still wonder how you guys are getting 25 MPG or more?????

Geez...I can barely get 22...but we will see. This is the 3rd tank after the CAI and having my ECU disconnected for the recall.

 

[camrycev6]

I only get 25 on a lot of highway driving...mostly it is around 24.

 

[SwampAss]

My mileage computer has me @ 28.4 so far. That's with the AC on and a trip down the interstate.

 

[SPEED305]

I still wonder how you guys are getting 25 MPG or more?????

Geez...I can barely get 22...but we will see. This is the 3rd tank after the CAI and having my ECU disconnected for the recall.

im with you, it has to be the driving.

 

[SwampAss]

I really drive mine smoothly. Infact, when I do get on it, it blows out carbon. heh. Sometimes I beat the s*** out of it. Most times I drive it like a Geo Metro.

 

[fourthmeal]

swamp, have you had your ecu flashed? Mine was like that before, but afterwards, it was clear back there. MPG went up slightly as well.

 

[SwampAss]

There was no flash available for my VIN.

 

[Moonpie.Express]

Mpg

30.1 MPG!!!

Just made a 1200 mile trip. 27.5 on the way down. Thought of Swampass' post and ran Shell on the way back and 30.1.

Mostly interstate driving, cruise control approx. half the trip. Reset all the trip meter crap at every fill up.

Average speed by car was 64 (mostly due to traffic)...cruise was set no lower than 75 the entire trip.

I was happy!!

 

[camrycev6]

Well just don't add acetone to your tank! That won't help....

 

[fourthmeal]

There was no flash available for my VIN.

My main thought here is that your Mazdaspeed dealer had the same trouble I did when I asked for the ECU to be flashed (actually I asked if they could tune it to not run pig rich), he dug around and at first said he could find no such reflash. But, by the time I was ready to pick up the car, he said he found a small file in the online database for a reflash. This was quite some time ago, I want to say around Feb or so. At any rate, I think it is hard to find, so your service guys may be looking around it. But since our cars were purchased around the same time (say December-Feburary) its possible they missed it. What do you think?

 

[SwampAss]

I think it's possible. On the other hand, I no longer have a real soot issue, I have no surging at all, and my acceleration is very strong. Ain't broke/no fix

 

[CTt3P5]

Well I just filled up today at a Shell (top tier) station and here are my results from my previous two fill-ups.

Station/Date/Price Per Gallon/Miles Driven/Gallons/MPG

WaWa/July 5/$2.74/292.9/11.277/25.42

Exxon/July 12/$2.77/292.9/24.87

I will post up next week with results using a top tier station.

 

[fourthmeal]

I think it's possible. On the other hand, I no longer have a real soot issue, I have no surging at all, and my acceleration is very strong. Ain't broke/no fix

Werd. Also, you get good MPG, so you gotta wonder if the ECU figured it out on its own.